German 7th Army

The German 7th Army was a German Wehrmacht field army that was active from 1939 to 1945 during World War II. The army was commanded by Friedrich Dollmann until his suicide in June 1944, and it was stationed in France at the time of Operation Overlord. Paul Hausser took command of the army, which was encircled in the Falaise Gap and nearly destroyed. Erich Brandenberger commanded the 7th Army during the Battle of the Bulge, during which it consisted of three volksgrenadier divisions and one fallschirmjaeger division. The army suffered heavy losses in the battle, and it lost 60% of its personnel. The 7th Army fought fierce battles against the US Third Army in the Trier area in early 1945, and it was pursued to Mainz and Mannheim. The 7th Army escaped the Ruhr Pocket, and it withdrew to the Leipzig-Hof area of the Thuringian Forest. The army ultimately surrendered to the Allies on 8 May 1945.